Rotary printing press



Aus-` 24 192.6.

' B. C.v,WH|TE ROTARY PRINTING PRESS Filed August 28, 1924 Patented ug.274, 1926.

UNITED STATES vPAIENT OFFICE.

:BRUCE CLARK WHITE, DECEASED, LATE F NEVI YORK, N. Y.; BY MARTE LOUISAWHITE, EXECUTRIX, QF YORK, N. Y.

ROTARY PRNTING PRESS.

Application led August 28, 1924. Serial No. 734,667.

This invention relates generally to rotary printing presses of the typein which a rotary sheet carrier is arranged to present individual sheetsto the printing rolls. The

present invention has more particular reference to the construction andoperation of the sheet gripping devices upon a. transfer `element whichreceives the sheet from a pile feeder or the like and transfers it tothe carrier, the gripping devices forming the subject matter of thepresent application being shown in part in a previous application forpatent filed by Bruce C. White on April 18, 1922; Serial No. 554,886.

The inventionhas for an object to provide a novel and improved form ofsheet gripper of simple construction arranged to have a more directgripping action than the grippers now in use.

A further .object of the` invention is to provide a gripper having aresilient gripping action whereby the individual grippers of a seriesoperated by a common means may adjust themselves to insure eflicientoperation of each gripper.

For further comprehension of the invention, and yof the objects andadvantages thereof, reference will be had to the following descriptionand accompanying drawing, and to the appended claims in which thevarious novel features of the invention are `more particularly setforth.

Fig. 1 of the drawing is a side elevational view showing one of thesections of the sheet transfer drum with my improved sheet gripvperapplied thereto, the drum shaft and the shaft for operating the gripperbeing shown in transverse section.

Fig. 2 is a part plan and part horizontal sectional view of the partsshown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a detail plan view showing the hub portion of the gripperdevice.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of the Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional View taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

In the drawing the reference numeral 10 indicates one of the disksegments of a segmental drum which receives the sheet from an inclinedfeed-board 11 to tranfer'the same to the sheet carrier, and 12 the shafton which saiddrumis fixed. `The manner in which this transfer iseffected does not segment 10 to clamp the sheet in place.

affect the present invention which concerns itself with the sheetgripping'means. 1t will be understood that there are. a series of thesesegments each with its individual gripper device. Extending parallel tothe shaft 12, and freely supported by the various drum segments, is ashaft 14 by which the gripper members are operated, this shaft havingfixed on one end thereof an arm 15 on whichl is a roller 16 engaging agrooved cam 17 whereby the shaft 14 is rocked at appropriate times tooperate the grippers. f

Each gripper device comprises, briefly, a short arm mounted onthe shaft14 and a gripper finger which is pivotally connected at one end to thesaidxarm and has its other end adapted to bear on the periphery `fromsaid hub. The gripper finger 1s in a form of the bar 22 which ispivotally connected to the ear 21 at its inner end and projects in agenerally radial direct-ion outwardly in front of the leading edge ofthe drum segment. This finger has a rearwardly turned outer end 22 whichis adapted to bearb on the periphery of flip pair of short guiding andsupporting links 24 are pivotally connected at one end tothe linger 22 ashort distance from the outer end thereof, the other ends of these linksbeing pivotally connected to the drum segments 10 as at 25.

The hub 20 is mounted onr the shaft 14 in a manner to impart a resilientpulling or clamping actionr on the gripper finger as follows: formed inone side of the shaft is a longitudinal groove 27 of triangular crosssection whose two walls are vertical to one another. The hub 2O isthickened along one side to form a lateral rib or. projection 28 whoseface is substantially parallel to one wall of the groove. This ribv isformed with two borings 29 which extend inwardly and communicate at4their inner ends with the groove 27, these borings being spaced axiallyof the hub and being generally vertical to the said wall of the groove.Located in theseJ borings are the coiled compression springs 30 whichbear at their inner ends against the said wall of the groove. The outerportions of the borings 29 are threaded toreceive the screws 3l whichbear against the outer ends of the springs 30. As will be apparent whenthe springs are compressed to normal operative condition between thescrews 3l and theV wall of the groove 27 they tend to rotate the hubupon the shaft, and to limit this movement an abutment screw 32 isthreaded through the hubs at right angles to the screws 3l and betweenthe latter, and bears on the other wall of the groove. This `screw isprovided with a lock nut 33.

In the operation of the gripper, when the shaft 14 is rocked inthemanner described in the above mentioned copending applica tion, themotion thereof is transmitted to the hub 20 through the medium of thesprings 30 which form a resilient operative element interposed betweenthe shaft and the gripper finger. By this means slight variations in the'relation of the various grippers toA their drum segments isaccommodated and all the grippers are caused to function properly. Theparticulartype of gripper finger here shown, with swinging fulcrummounting be tween its ends, is advantageous in that the outer end ofthegripper in its movement is adapted to releasethe sheet and clear thepath thereof in its transfer to the carrier. Suitable collars, such asthose indicated at 35,1nay be fixed to the shaft 14. to retain the vhubsof the grippers against longitudinal movement thereon.

Having thus described the invention what I claim as new and desire toprotect by Letters Patent of the United States is as follW'S l. Incombination with a rotary sheet transfer element, a gripper bar havingat its outer end 'a gripper ineinber adapted to engage the sheet, aswinging fulcruin mounting between the ends of said bar, a rock armconnected to the inner end of saidbar, and a spring carried by said armand disposed to effect the clamping action of said gripper member. n

2. In combination with a rotary sheet transfer element, a gripper barhaving at Vits outer end a gripper member adapted to engage the sheet, aswinging fulcrum mounting between the ends of said bar, a rock armconnected to the inner end of said bar, a spring carried by said arm anddis posed to effect the clamping action of said gripper member, andmeans for varying the tension of said spring. i

In combination withr a rotary sheet transfer element, a gripper barhaving at its outer end a gripper member adapted to engage the sheet, aswinging fulcrum mounting between the ends of said bar, a rock shaft, anarm loosely mounted on said shaft 'and connectedto the inner end of saidbar,

and a spring carried by said arm and engaging said shaft and disposed toeffect the clamping action of said grippermember.

4. In combination with a rotary sheet transfer element, a gripper barhaving at its outer end a gripper member adapted to engage the sheet, aswinging fulc'ruin mounting between the ends of said bar, a rock shaft,an arm loosely mounted on said shaft and connected to the inner end ofsaid bar, a spring carried by said arm and engaging said shaft anddisposed to effect the clamping action of said Agripper member, andmeans for varying the tension of said spring.

5. In combination `with a rotary sheet transfer element, a gripper barhaving at its outer end a gripper member adapted to engage thesheet, aswinging fulcrum mount'- ing between the ends of said bar, .a rock shafthaving a groove formed therein, an arm loosely mounted on said shaftland connected to the inner end of said bar, a spring carried by said armand enga ing a wall'of the groove formed in said s aft and disposed toeffect the clamping action of. said gripper member, and a stopscrewthreaded vin said arm and engaging a wall of thev Vgroove formed insaid shaft and adapted to limit the thrust of said spring. A

6. In combination with a rotary sheet transfer element, a gripper barhaving at its outer end a gripper member adapted to engage the sheet, aswinging fulcrum mounting between the ends of said bar, a rock shafthaving a groove formed therein, an arm loosely mounted on said shaft andconnected to the' inner end of said bar, a spring carried by said armand engaging a wall of the groove formed in said shaft anddisposed toeifect the clamping action of said gripper member, a screw threaded insaid arm and bearing against the outer end of said spring to vary thetension thereof, and a stop screw threaded in said arm and engaging awall of the groove formed in said shaft and adapted to limit the thrustaction 'of said spring.

V'7. A 4sheet gripping device comprising a gripper element, a rock shaftfor operating said gripper element .andprovided with a groove theremanarm loosely mounted on said shaft and engaging said gripper element, a`compressionl sprin' carried by said arm and engaging a wal of thegroove formed in said shaft and dis osed to effect the clamping actionof sai gripper element, and means carried by said arm for adjusting thetension of said spring.

8. A 'sheet gripping device comprising a gripper element, a rock shaftfor operating said gripper element, an arm loosely mounted on saidshaft, a compressionL spring Lamm arin, a screw threaded into said huband bearing against one end of said spring, and an abutment screwpassing through said hub and acting to maintain said spring incompressed condition.

9. A sheet gripping device comprising a gripper element, a rock shaftfor operating said gripper element, an arm loosely mounted on saidshaft, a compression spring carried by the hub of said arm and engagedwith said shaft to form the medium for transfer of motion from saidshaft to said arm, a screw threaded into said hub and bearing againstone end of said spring, and an abutment screw passing through said huband acting to maintain said spring in compressed condition, said shaftbeing formed with a groove against the opposite walls of which the saidspring and abutment screw resiectively bear.

igned at New York in the county of New York and State of New York this12th day of August A. D. 1924.

MARIA LOUISA WHITE, Emecutm'm of the estate of Bruce O'Zarlc White.,deceased.

